Meter-switch.



' R. S. WHITE.

METER SWITCH- APPLICATION FILED Auc.2z. ms;

1,228,859. Patefited June 5,1917

ROGER s. WHITE, or WASHINGTON, ms'rmc'r OF COLUMBIA.

METER-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'latcnted June 5, 1917.

Application filed August 22, 1916. Serial No. 116,295.

To all tr/mm. it mayo-0710mm Be it. known that 1, Room: 5. \Vurrn, a.citizen of the United States, residing at Vashington, in the District ofColumbia, have im'ented certain new and useful Improvements inl\leterS\\'it -hes, of which the following is a specification.

This intention relates to a switching dc- \'iee allapted for useparticularly on meter test blocks. The invention comprises a suit.- ablebase of insulating material, a switch terminal secured upon the trout olthe base, and a ('OtiHQl'tltlllg switch terminal eompris ing a threadedstud projecting from the base beyond the first mentioned terminal and athreaded contact member adjustable on the stud into and out ofengagement with the lirst mentioned terminal, said eo-aeting switchmember having means, in front of the base, for detachably connecting ameter test wire thereto. The, means for detachably connecting.the metertest wu'c prefcrmay com-prises an opening or' recess into which the wiremaybe hooked, and this opening may-be either in the stud or in thememberadjustable thereon, the former arrangement.being prelrrred, andthe said ad-.

justable meniber then becomes a locking means fol-the wire. It will beunderstood that several switching devices are required to make thenecessary rireuit changes to apply a lest meter, but as these devicesmay be all alike, it is unnecessary to illustrate or deseribc the entireset of switches. 7

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention,

Figure l is a front or plan View of a switch block having thereon a pairof switches embodying my invention;

Fig-L 2. IS a section on the line 2-2 of .Fig. 3 is a section on the,line I, 3 of Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of switch; and, I

, Fig. is a section on the line 55 of Fig.4.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the rlij'awing, A indicates abase of insulating 'lnaterialu 'ion which two similar switches a openingand through an opening in the base.

This stud is provided with a conical shoulder 9 which tits against thebase, and a conicalwasher 10, of insulating 1natcrial,fits into theopening 8 between said shoulder and the plate 1. The stud is held infixed position by a nut 11 thereon, .at the back of the base, and theterminal of a conductor 12 is secured on the stud .by a nut 13.

The stud '9 projects in front of thebase and of the plate 1 for asuitable length tosuppoii .a metal contact member 14, which isin theform of a nut threaded on to the stud and which is movable into and outof engagement with the plate 1. The plate 1 forms one terminal of theswitch and the,

stud and nut form the other switch terminal.

WVhen the nut is-scr'ewed inwardly against the plate, as shown at theright 1n Fig. 2, the switch is closed, and the eoiuluetors 7 and 12 areelectrically connected together. \Vhen the nut is unscrewed, as shown atthe. left in Fig. 2, the electrical connection between the conductors 7and 12 is interrupted.

The stud of each switch isprovided with wires of a. test meter thereto.In this instance, holes 1!) are bored through the studs, near theirouter ends, to receive the test meter wires, one of which is shown at16-, which wires are usually bent into hook form at their ends andhooked into the perforations The perforation in each stud forms asatisfactory means for connecting a test wire to the stud, but in orderto secure the wire against accidental displacement, the nut 14 may beadjusted outwardly on the stud. until its outer face bears against thewire, a's indicated in Fig. 3, and the nut then locks the wife againstdisplacement.

the nut 14 p ays' between the opening 1? and Thus,

means for detachably-connecting one of the the terminal 1 and performsthe mechanical function of clamping the test wire when in 1ts outer[)(ylSllZlOIl, and the electrical function of connect ng the conductors7 and 12 when l v o in its innermost position. As the exposed end of thestud projects a considerable distance from the opposing terminal 1,ample room is provided for connecting the test wire to the stud withoutbringing the wire close to the terminal 1. There is, therefore, littleor no danger of short circuiting the switch in handling the meter testwire.

In the switching device above described, the metal surfaces of the nutand stud where they project forward or in front of the base areuninsulatcd and wholly exposed, so that the meter test wire might beattached to either the nut or the stud, if a suitable perforation wereprovided in the former. In Figs. 4 and 5, a switch is shown in which thenut is perforated to receive the test wire.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the parts arcthe same as in Figs. 1 t0 3, inclusive,with the exception of the stud and nut. Referring to these latterfigures of the drawing, the stud 9 is not perforated, and the nut orsleeve 14" ext'ends beyond the end of the stud in the closed position ofthe switch. The nut, near its outer end, is provided with a perforation15", extending diametrically through it, for receiving the hooked end ofa meter test wire, and a slot 17 .'is formed in the end of the nut orsleeve so that a screw-driver may be inserted to tighten or loosen it.When the switch is opened by unscrewing the nut, the meter test wire maybe inserted through the perforation 15, and then by screwing the nutdownward, the Wire will be clamped against the end of the stud.

In'both forms of switch, a single turn of the nut will open or close theswitch; but the stud is long and threaded to its outer end,

so that many turns of the-nut would be re quired to remove it from thestud. It is intended that the nut shall remain on the stud at all times,and with this arrangement the operator is not likely t0 unscrew thenut'so -mctml parts.

What I claim is: I 1. In a switch for meter test blocks;- a suitablebase, a switch terminal supported.

thereby, and a co-acting switch. terminal comprising a threaded studprojecting from the base outwardly beyond the first mentioned terminaland a threaded Contact memher on said'stud, said co-acting terminalhaving, in front of the first mentioned terminal, means for detachablyconnecting a meter wire thereto.

2. In a. switch for meter test blocks, a suitable base, a switchterminal supported there by, and a co-acting switch terminal compris inga threaded stud projecting from the base outwardly beyond the firstmentioned terminal and a threaded contact member on" said stud, saidco-acting terminal having, in front of the first mentioned terminal, aperforation to receive a meter test wire.

3. In a switch for meter test blocks, av suitable base, a switchterminal supported thereby, and a co-acting switch terminal comprising athreaded stud projecting from the base outwardly beyond the first mentiidned terminal'and having means infront of'said latter terminal for theattachment of a'wire' and a threaded contact member on the stud, saidmember adjustable into locking enga ement with the wire, when thelatter'is,attac ed.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

ROGER s. WHITE.

